Apparatus for separating dust from dust-laden air-currents.



PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907 A; LOTZ. APPARATUS FOR SBPARATING DUST FROM DUST LADEN AIR GURRENTS.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 1- 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS LOTZ, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN OR TO SANITARY DEV ICES MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING DUST FROM DUST -LADEN AlR-CURRENIS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed h'oveiuber 14,1904- Serial No. 232,659.

Be it known that I, Acocs'rus Lo'rz, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco I Air Currents, of which the following is a Specification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for the separation of dustor fine particles of solid matter from an air-current in which it is held in suspension, its object being to thoroughly separate or waslnsuch solid matter from the air without the use of screens, filters, or other mechanical devices and without passing the air-current through a body of water.

To this end my invention consists generally in means for confining the air-current Within narrow bounds and throttling it, so as to cause it to travel at high velocity, and for mingling with it while so confined and traveling at great velocity an atomized spray of Water, also in means for so agitating and commingling the two fluids in their further travel by frictional contact of the fluids with confining and deflecting walls that practically all of the dust particles suspended. in

the air-current are brought into contact with and moistened by the spray so as to be separated and precipitated from the air whcn rcleased from confinement. Specifically, such means preferably comprises the following elementsviz., a narrow pipe or conduit through which the dust-laden air is propelled at high velocity by any suitable means, such as a vacuum-pump; a pocket or well in said conduit connected with a source of water-supply; an ejector-nozzle in said pipe arranged immediately above said well, adapted to throttle the air passing through the pipe to increase its velocity, so as to atomize the water in the well in contact therewith, and devices in the conduit beyond said ejector by contact with which the current is def lectcd and broken up and the fluids thoroughly intermingled. These deflecting devices comprise,

preferably, a dome-shaped casing extending above and below the conduit, an inclined partition separating the upper and lower portions of the casing, and a vertical pipe extending through the partition and connecting f the upper and lower chambers, the whole constituting a tortuous passage for the air-current.

1n the accompanying drawings, forming partof this specification, is illustrated the preferred type of apparatus embodying my invention.

Figure 1 is 'anelevation of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a central vertical section of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail section of the atomizing and deflecting devices and connected parts. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same, partly broken away; and Big. 6 is a vertical cross-section of the water-pocket or well.

The drawings show three superposed cylinders 1, 2, and 3, the cylinder 2 being arranged at the bottom on suitable supports, the cyl inder 1 at the top, and the cylinder 3 intermediate of the same. The cylinder 3 is divided by the horizontal partition 4 into two chambers connected by the centrally-arranged vertical pipe 5. The chamber 3 also has an inlet 6 arranged below the'partition 4, while the pipe 8, connecting with the upper chamber, serves as an outlet. The cylinder 2 has a removable bottom 7, and the cylinder 1 a lateral port 9, through which water may be introduced, a water-gage 11, an air-inlet thence downward, where the smaller pipe or nozzle 12 connects it with the casing 13, which ext ends in the form of a pocket or well below the level of the pipe 12 and is provided at its bottom with a removable plug 13.

'The vertical partition 4, arranged in the easing, extends considerably below the pipe 12. To the casing on the opposite side of the partition 14 is connected the water-pipe 15, which leads to the cylinder 1. Leading from the casing 13 is the pipe 10, which connects with the casin g or chamber 16, provided with a removable bottom 20. This chamber is divided by an inclined partition 17, the upper part 18 of the chamber being preferably a glass dome. This upper part is connected with the bottom of the chamber by means of the vertical pipe 19, which extends above and belowthe partition 17. Connecting with the chamber on the opposite side and in line with.

. meets the chamber or casing with the cylin- )artially-purified air flowing up through the the ordinary operation of the apparatus the the pipe 10 is the outlet-pipe 22, which conder 1.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The chamber 1 is supplied with water to a dept h a little less than the height of the air-inlet pipe 22 The water\ flows therefrom through the pipe 15 into the casin 13 and connected parts. Suction being app ied to draw the air from the chamber 1 out through the pipe 24, the air to be cleaned is drawn from its source through the port 6 into the chamber 3. The spiral motion of the air-current serves to precipitate the heavier portions of the dust in the chamber 2, the

pipe 5 and outward through the pipe 8. In

air is drawn through the parts above described at high velocity, and as it passes hrough the narrow pipe or nozzle 12 it serves 1o atomize the water in the casing 13 at the outlet of the pipe 1.2. Thence the air-current and the entrained vapor are carried forward against the partition 17, thence upward into and around the dome 1S and downward through the pipe 19 to the bottom of l the casing, thence upward and out through the pipe 22 into the chamber 1. The frictional contact of the air and vapor with the confining-Walls above described serve to so thoroughly break up and comniingle the fluids that practically every particle of dust is brought into contact with and thoroughly moistened by the vapor, so that when discharged through the pipe 22 into the cham- 1 her 1 the water andentrained dust drop into the bottom of the tank, while the purified air flows out through the pipe 24.

I cl aim 1. Means for separating solid matter from the airin which it is suspended, comprising a narrow conduit, adapted to convey a stream with a source of water-supply, an ejector adjacent said well, a deflecting-plate in said conduit beyond said ejector, and a chamber above said plate. V

3. In combination, anarrow conduit adapted to convey current of dust-laden air at great velocity, a communicating water-inlet, an ejector in the conduit at the junction of the water-inlet operative the air-current to atomize and entrain the inflowing water, a

deflecting-plate in said conduit and cham-' hers above and beneath said plate.

In testimony whereof I- have afiixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 19th day of July, 1904.

AUGUSTUS LOTZ.

v Witnesses:

L. W. qEELY, M R. Seam. 

